Yoshi’s

Taj Mahal’s impact on Americana music cannot be overstated. He started out in the 1960s as a blues musician whose relentless touring brought him around the world, and everywhere he went, he picked up musical tidbits. Over the years, he has revitalized blues and roots music with African, Caribbean, Polynesian and other world music sounds. This weekend, the 74-year-old musician brings his trio to Yoshi’s in Oakland for six shows May 20-22 (some are already sold out). Tickets are $39-$45; 510-238-9200, www.yoshis.com.
— Randy McMullen, Staff

Brazilian pianist and singer Eliane Elias will showcase her 2015 album “Made in Brazil” during a series of shows at Yoshi’s in Oakland. (Courtesy of Eliane Elias)

Pianist, composer and singer Eliane Elias has been impressing music fans with her distinctive classical-meets-Brazilian-jazz style and abundance of talent for more than three decades. She’s showcasing her 2015 release “Made in Brazil” (her first album recorded in her native Brazil since moving to New York in 1981) with a run at Yoshi’s in Oakland that runs March 2-5. Tickets are $39-$85; 510-238-9200, www.yoshis.com.
— Randy McMullen, Staff

Drummer Billy Cobham had just broken into jazz stardom as a member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra when he released “Spectrum,” his debut album as a bandleader, in 1973. The recording was hailed as a classic that cemented his standing as an elite drummer and talented composer to boot. In 2013, Cobham assembled the band Spectrum 40 to celebrate the album’s anniversary. The band is back on the road, with stops at Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz (7 and 9 p.m. April 27; $31.50; http://kuumbwajazz.org) and Yoshi’s in Oakland (8 p.m. April 28, 8 and 10 p.m. April 29;$29-$59; www.yoshis.com).
— Randy McMullen, Staff